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Texas Report

Texas

IMPRISONMENT IN TEXAS

At year-end 2004, Texas prisons housed 157,617 inmates serving sentences of more than one year. Of these inmates, 146,209 were male and 11,408 were female. Texas ranked 5th in its 2004 female imprisonment rate with 101 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents, and 2nd in its 2004 overall imprisonment rate with 694 prisoners per 100,000 residents.

In 1977, Texas prisons housed 919 female inmates; by 2004, the female prison population had reached 11,408. Texas' female prison population was at its lowest with 919 female prisoners in 1977 and peaked at 11,634 female inmates in 2000.

GROWTH IN FEMALE IMPRISONMENT RATE

Between 1977 and 2004, Texas' female prison population grew by 1,141% with an average annual percent change of 13.3% per year.

For most of the period from 1977 to 2004, Texas' female imprisonment rate was higher than the average female imprisonment rate across the states. However, the most notable trend in the figure below is the spike in Texas' female imprisonment rate in 1993. Between 1992 and 1993, Texas' female imprisonment rate more than doubled. It remained high throughout the rest of the 1990s, and through 2004. With a female imprisonment rate of 101 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents in 2004, Texas is among the 10 most punitive states in its imprisonment of female offenders (ranked 5th).

MALE TO FEMALE IMPRISONMENT RATIO

The male to female imprisonment ratio indicates the number of male inmates for every female inmate. Although both female and male imprisonment rates have increased over the period of study, a shrinking ratio suggests that the number of female prisoners has increased at a faster pace. In 1977, across the states, there were an average of 26 male prisoners for every female prisoner; by 2004, this ratio had fallen to 13 male prisoners for every female prisoner. Texas' 1977 ratio was slightly lower than average with 23 male prisoners for every female prisoner. By 2004, Texas' male to female imprisonment ratio (13:1) was equal to the average across states.

CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

According to the 2000 Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, Texas has 136 correctional facilities. Of Texas' 136 correctional facilities, 107 house male prisoners only, 10 house female prisoners only, and 19 house both male and female prisoners.